A 19-year-old aspiring cricketer has suffered multiple fractures to his body after he met with a car accident in Epsom on Monday, August 21. He is being treated at the Auckland City Hospital.
Tanishq Bhatia came to New Zealand five months ago as an international student and is working part-time for a company called Veggie Express in Morningside in Auckland.
On Monday, around 5:40 a.m. Tanishq and his workmate were driving in their company vehicle while picking up deliveries from different locations. On their way back from Royal Oak towards Epsom, their Toyota Hiace van crashed into the parked cars on the left side of the road.
Tanishq was seated on the passenger side of the van.
“There was a car behind us which kept honking at us for a while; apparently the driver of the car was drunk. When the car sped towards us, my workmate took a sharp left to avoid the collision, unfortunately colliding with the parked cars on the left side of the curb,” Tanishq told The Indian Weekender from the Auckland Hospital.
Tanishq confirmed that his van was going within the speed limit and they were not speeding.
“The crashed van clamped on my leg. The windscreen also broke, but since I was wearing glasses, the broken glass pieces did not hurt my eyes, else I would have received grievous injuries to my eyes,” he added.
The driver of the van escaped unhurt and called the ambulance, and the residents too came to their rescue.
“I almost blacked out because of the pain. The only thing I can recollect is that an ambulance soon came to my rescue and gave me medication to reduce my leg pain,” Tanishq exclaimed.
Currently treated at the Auckland hospital, Tanishq suffered four stitches on his right leg and his left leg is swollen. The doctors have said it will be operated upon.
Tanishq also suffered an injury on his nose and had four stitches.
“Doctor has said that I will need plastic surgery for my nose,” he added.
Tanishq said that the doctors have confirmed that his life is out of danger, but he is bedridden for some time now.
Tanishq is an aspiring cricketer and plays for the Grafton United Cricket Club.
Tanishq has a sister, Ria Bhatia who studied in Auckland earlier and is currently in New Delhi, India, with the family.
The High Commission of India in New Zealand is liaising with his family back in India and assisting them with the visa arrangements.